user friendliest gui

[Robert Bonomi]

> From andrewlylegould at gmail.com  Tue May 11 16:46:38 2010
> Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 16:46:50 -0500
> Subject: Re: user friendliest gui
> From: Andrew Gould <andrewlylegould at gmail.com>
> To: Jean-Paul Natola <jnatola at familycareintl.org>
> Cc: Robert Bonomi <bonomi at mail.r-bonomi.com>,
>         "freebsd-questions at freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
>
> On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 3:26 PM, Jean-Paul Natola
> <jnatola at familycareintl.org> wrote:
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions=
> > @freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Robert Bonomi
> > > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 3:07 PM
> > > To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> > > Subject: RE: user friendliest gui
> > >
> > >
> > >> Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 18:51:44 +0000
> > >> Cc: FreeBSD Mailing List <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
> > >> Subject: RE: user friendliest gui
> > >>
> > >> My users here, =A0"no gui" =3D "machine is broken"
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: Eitan Adler [mailto:lists at eitanadler.com]
> > >> Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 2:48 PM
> > >> To: Gary Gatten
> > >> Cc: Jean-Paul Natola; FreeBSD Mailing List
> > >> Subject: Re: user friendliest gui
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 9:36 PM, Gary Gatten <Ggatten at waddell.com> wrote=
> > :
> > >> If that's all your doing on that system, maybe some restricted shell wit=
> > h
> > >> automagical scan script would be fine? =A0Just a thought. =A0Avoid GUI's=
> >  if you
> > >> can!
> > >>
> > >> Why? For most users GUIs are far easier to understand and use.
> > >
> > > Why?? =A0Because, In this case, the GUI is entirely -un-necessary-. =A0Th=
> > e user
> > > doesn't have to do anything other than stick the flash drive in the USB p=
> > ort.
> > >
> > > The machine does everything else. =A0*WITHOUT* any further user intervent=
> > ion
> > > required.
> > >
> > > Why bother with the GUI, when there is no inter-actiona required?
> >
> > Will it pop-up a message saying your drive is clean?
> > If so then great

TRIVIALLY easy to do.  This is a =dedicated=, single-function, machine, one
can have an app *already*running* that looks for syslog messages for a USB 
insertion, mounts the indicated device on, say '/mnt', initiates a virus-scan,
*displays* the results, and unmounts the device.

> I'm going to advocate for a GUI here due to the possibility of a false
> positive during malware detection.  The user should be given a choice
> as to whether the infected file is cleaned, deleted or left alone.

>                                                                     If
> the user chooses to keep the file, the user should also be able to
> store the scan log onto the usb drive.  (Users should also be able to
> decide that no log will be written to the drive.)  These things will
> require interaction with the user.

I favor a 'receipt' printer -- one of the little ones that uses adding-machine
size paper, like ATM machines have.  Print the USB device ID, a timestamp, 
the status (clean vs.  infected), and if infected, a simple summary of how 
many infections of what type(s) were detected.  _maybe_ list the first few 
infected files.

OP _did_ 'spec' that this was to be a malware DETECTION 'scanning' system, not
a removal/repair installation.

"Reading between the lines", I gatther that this is to be a choke-point/
validation service, and *only* devices that pass through it as 'uninfected' 
will be allowed to be used on other machines on thepremises. 

That the "function" of this box is to protect the other internal boxes, _not_ 
to disinfect infected USB devices.

> There is also the possibility that the OP will want to add related,
> optional services later.  One example might be the option to choose
> whether the usb drive is scanned or completely erased by overwriting
> the drive with zeros.
>

I wouldn't want the *LIABILITY* for doing =that=.

> Another good use for the GUI, as scanning an 8GB or 32GB usb drive may
> take some time, is to present a slideshow to the user about computer
> security or, perhaps, an introduction to the wonderful operating
> system that is running on the computer.

One can do _all_ of that without any need for a GUI.  All it takes is a
little creativity in the programming.


In many ways, the 'ideal' UI _hardware_ for this kind of an application is 
a _touch_screen_.  *IF*and*when* you want to add additional features that
require interactivity.

The application itself needs use nothing more than color 'curses' (or 
equivalent) to provide a sufficiently 'user-friendly' display.

As for doing a 'slide show' or similar, while scanning is in progress, 
'anything' that can (a) change console video mode(s), and (b) output
an appropriate pattern/number of pixels, can do that. *without* the
overhead of a full-blown GUI in the way.